


Ophidiophobia

by Starwolf69



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, Overcoming fear of snakes, Snakes, does it still count as a kid fic if the kids are snakes but so so is one of the parents?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21625153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starwolf69/pseuds/Starwolf69
Summary: Molly comes for a visit and Rosa finds out her friend is afraid of snakes.  But, she has a plan to help.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley
Comments: 24
Kudos: 184
Collections: Wiggleverse





	Ophidiophobia

**Author's Note:**

> In OlwenDylluan and Quilly's story "In Which Names are Important", we find out that one of Clem's middle names is Oscar. This is important later,

On a crisp fall day, Rosa paced by the front door, peering out the window every now and then. Molly was coming to spend the afternoon with her while her mother ran some errands. It was the first time any of the snakelets had a friend come for a visit. Unless you count Angelica’s friend James who was riding by on his bike after they first moved in -- which Rosa did not count as it wasn’t pre-arranged. Only pre-arranged visits counted. She looked out the window again, wiggling happily when she saw Molly getting out of her mother’s car in the driveway and walking toward the front door of the cottage. 

“Hi!” Rosa chirped as she threw the door open, catching Molly in mid-knock. They both giggled. 

“My mum made cookies for us and your family,” Molly said holding up a big plastic bag full to the top with cookies. 

“We can put those in the kitchen,” Rosa told her. “Come on. I’ll show you the house.” 

She took Molly’s hand and led her to the kitchen. Aziraphale was working with Clem, Datura, and Junior on maths. Junior perked up when he saw the cookies, nudging Datura. They looked up and gave Molly a winning smile before going back to their math problems. Clem gave a happy little wiggle from his wheelchair. 

“Mr. Fell?” she said softly. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but my mum made cookies for us to share. She said she’d be back after dinner.”

“Well, that will be a fine snack!” Aziraphale told her. “Put them over on the counter, dear. We’ll be finishing here soon then you all can go play.”

Rosa let her friend into the living room. Molly’s eyes grew large at all the books, neatly arranged in shelves lining the walls. They crossed to the library, Molly giving an excited little squeak. 

“This is amazing!” she told Rosa. “You have more books than the library does!”

“Azirafather really likes books,” Rosa said with a giggle. “We need to be quiet until the others are done with their school. Angelica is upstairs listening to music until they are finished and it is lunchtime.”

“Your siblings have school on Saturday?” she asked, browsing a shelf in front of her. 

Rosa settled on the small sofa and picked up her book. “Azirafather has them do the same amount of hours that we do at school, but they can do it anytime during the week.”

Molly found a book and settled on the other end of the sofa. They read until they heard the others talking loudly in the kitchen. Angelica popped her head around the corner and grinned. 

“Come on, bookworms. Lunchtime.”

They followed her into the kitchen where Aziraphale had laid out a buffet of sandwiches, fruit, cheese crackers, and cookies. Junior grabbed a plate and pushed to the front of the line. Rosa frowned. 

“Molly is our guest,” she told him. “She gets to go first.”

Junior grumbled but allowed Molly to make her plate first. She put her plate down on the table and waited to sit, not wanting to take someone’s seat. The children settled in at the table, Molly sitting next to Rosa. 

“Where is Father?” Angelica asked.

Aziraphale sat down with them. “He was going out to the orchard, I believe. We can start without him.”

Lunch was a typical mealtime – lots of conversations going on around the table. Junior was trying to get a plan together for the afternoon. They finally decided on hide-and-seek as there were now six of them. Lunch was finished quickly and everyone put their dishes in the sink. They followed Junior out the front door and stood in a semi-circle in the front yard. 

“I’ll count first,” he said. “You can hide anywhere outside in the front or the back or the orchard. Not in the woods or by the pond though. Okay. You better be hidden by the time I get to twenty. Go!”

They scattered. Molly followed Rosa, hoping there was enough space for them to hide together. Rosa hid behind a low wall and told Molly to hide behind the shrub by the patio. She raced to the back of the house. It was then that they heard the scream. 

Rosa ran as fast as she could toward the scream. Molly was standing atop the low wall that encircled the patio. She was shaking in fear, her eyes wide as she stared at the patio. Rosa climbed up next to her and took her hand. 

“It was right there,” she whispered. “We need to find your fathers to get rid of it!”

“What was it?” Rosa asked as the others arrived to see what was going on.

Molly squeezed her eyes shut tightly and held tightly on to Rosa’s hand. “There was a gigantic black snake on your patio. It was just lying there but it took off as soon as it saw me. It might be still around here!”

The children looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Datura took off to get Aziraphale while the others tried to comfort Molly. Aziraphale hurried out, carrying Molly into the house as Rosa pushed Clem into the house behind them. Aziraphale settled Molly on the counter and held her hands, helping her relax.

“What happened, darling?” he asked gently.

“G-giant snake,” she whimpered. “It was huge! And so scary!”

Azirphale murmured. “Rosa, can you get us some water? It’s okay, Molly my dear. I’m sure that it was just as scared of you as you were of it.”

“It was just so big and . . . and . . . slimy,” she said with a shiver.

Aziraphale through for a moment. “Darling, have you ever touched a snake? They aren’t slimy at all.”

Molly shook her head hard. “I . . . I’ve always been afraid of snakes.”

“Can we go upstairs and play?” Rosa asked. “Maybe Molly will feel better playing inside.”

Aziraphale helped Molly off the counter and watched them disappear around the corner. Moments later, Crowley came in, giving him a sheepish look. Aziraphale crossed to him and wrapped his arms around his demon’s waist. Crowley sighed softly.

“Is she okay?” he asked. “I didn’t mean to scare her. It was just so warm outside and I though a little bask would feel nice.”

“She’ll be fine, my love,” Aziraphale told him. “Just afraid of snakes like most humans.”

Clem let out a tiny whimper. “Azirafather? Will Molly not want to be my and Rosa’s friend because she’s afraid of snakes?”

Aziraphale sat down at the table next to Clem. “I don’t know, dearest. Right now, she doesn’t know about you all. But, it might be too much when she learns of it.”

“But I don’t want her to not like us!” Clem sniffled. “We have to fix it!’

Aziraphale sighed. “I don’t know if we can. We just can help as much as she needs and wants us to help.”

Rosa came into the kitchen. “Molly is wiping her face. I . . . I have an idea. Maybe if she holds a very tame snake, she won’t be afraid.”

“I don’t know about that,” Aziraphale said slowly. “You should definitely ask her first.”

“Worth a try,” Crowley answered with a shrug. “Can’t hurt.”

“Azirafather?” Clem asked. “May I . . . May I be the tame snake?”

Rosa took off to talk to Molly. Crowley decided it would be best to take the other children out for a ride so the house was quiet. After a few moments, Rosa came downstairs leading Molly by the hand. They sat down at the table.

“Molly wants to meet a snake,” Rosa said. “I’ll go get . . . Oscar.”

Aziraphale sat down. “Molly, are you sure?”

She nodded. “I think so.” 

Rosa came back with Clem across her shoulders. Molly took Aziraphale’s hand. Rosa sat down across the table from her friend. Clem stayed very still, not wanting to scare his friend. Molly looked at the snake, her eyes huge. 

“This is Oscar,” Rosa said gently. “He is very sweet.”

“Does he bite?” 

Rosa shook her head. “No. He would never bite. Do you want to pet him?”

Molly nodded tentatively. Rosa came around the table and sat next to her. Clem slithered down to wrap around Rosa’s arm. He held his head up and stayed very still so Molly could pet him. With a shaking hand, she very gently touched the top of his head. 

“He’s not slimy at all,” she said softly. “He feels kind of soft.”

Rosa nodded. “Do you want to hold him?”

“I don’t know if I can.”

Rosa moved closer. “Just put your arm out so he has a place to hold on. He’ll just wrap around your arm. I’ll take him back as soon as you want me to, okay?”

Molly nodded, taking a deep breath. She put her arm out, her whole body tense as Clem slithered on to her arm. He wrapped around her forearm and settled with his head on her wrist. She looked down, a smile breaking slowly.

“I’m doing it!” she whispered excitedly. “I’m holding him!”

Aziraphale smiled. “You certainly are!”

“Snakes don’t see all that well and they smell with their tongues,” Rosa told her. “See how he’s smelling your hand?”

Molly moved her arm so that “Oscar” was closer to her face. Clem moved his head closer and tickled her cheek with his little forked tongue. He immediately pulled back, tucking his head into his coils. Molly laughed. 

“He tickled me!”

Rosa took Clem back. “I think he’s ready to go back into the aquarium.”

Molly stroked his head once more. “Thank you, Oscar.”

Rosa took the snake into the other room and returned, pushing Clem in his wheelchair. Molly raced over to him. Taking his hand, she squeezed it.

“I did it, Clem!” she said with a little bounce. “I petted Oscar and I held him. He licked my face!”

Clem blushed and smiled. “That’s great! See? Snakes aren’t so bad.”

Molly nodded. “If all snakes are like Oscar, I might like them.”

“Oscar is pretty special,” Azirphale told her. “But most snakes aren’t as scary as they seem at first. Now, how about a nice cup of tea and some cookies before the rest of the family gets back?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Kedreeva for inventing this 'verse.
> 
> Super thanks to Quilly and OlwenDylluan for letting me talk this one out and for keeping this 'verse turning.


End file.
